Pneumatic weft detector controlled by box motion



Nv.1,1927. 'i .1,647,719 W. VH. WAKEFIELID VFIlEUM-TTC WEFT DETECTOR CONTROLLED BY BOX MOTION l Mmm Nov'. l1, 1927.

' W. H. WAKEFIELD PNEUMATIC WEFT DETECTOR CONTROLLED BY BOX MOTION Filed Deo. 5o. 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 ya v Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

WALTER I-I. WAKEEIELD, OF WORCESTER, MASSilii'I-IJ'SETTS,y ASSIGNOR TO CROMPT'ON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS.

MASSACHUSETTS, A kCORTORATIN OF PNEUMATIC WEFT DETECTOR CONTROLLED BY 'MOTION'.

Application filed December 30, 1924. Serial No. 758,903.

This invention relates to improvements in weft detectors for looms and more particularly to a detector adapted for use on box looms and having a detecting surface which is sensitive to various degrees depending upon which shuttle is active.

The usual types of weft detectors in oommon use are sufficiently sensitive to work satisfactorily with yarn varying through a rather wide range as to size and hardness but when a fabric is to haver incorporated therein very fine and also very coarse weft it is desirable that the detector be made selectively sensitive in order to avoid waste or complete exhaustion, which conditions 4might result if a feeler having one setting or adjustment were employed.

Accordingly it is the principal object of my present invention to provide a weft detector which shall be capable of assuming a plurality of degrees of sensitiveness depending upon which shuttle is active, particularly a detecting mechanism of the pneumatic type. It is a more particularobject of my invention to provide a detector having a surface provided with a projecting pin which under normal conditions sustains the same relative position with respect to the detector but which is associated with a sliding valve, the position of which is variable under control of the box motion. l

A fui-ther object of my invention is to provide a pneumatically operated weft de-4 tector mounted forl sliding motion in the direction in which the lay. moves and having means to vary the sensitiveness of the feeler so arranged that said means will remain in fixed relative position as the detector slides forwardly under influence of the bobbin.

Vith these and other objects in view which will appear as .the description proceeds, my invention 'resides in the combination and arrangement of parts vhereinafter described and set forth in the claims. y

VIn the accompanying drawings wherein I have shownV one form of my invention,

Fig. 1 isa front elevation of a portion of a loom havin@` my invention applied thereto, Fig. 2 is athorizontal section on line 2 2 ofFigS, V,j v.. n*

VFig'.v S' is a vertical section on line Seeed of Fig..4 is a vertical section on line 4 4 of 'Figa 3, showing certain additional parts not shown in Fig. 3,-and A Fig. 5 is a detail elevation looking inthe direction of arrow 5, Fig. 1.

As seen in Fig. 1 a loom frame 10 has at one end thereof a pair of boxes B and B which are mounted on rod 11 receiving motionin any approved manner, the mechanism herein described employingv Va flexible connector 12 which passes over a 'series of sheaves 13 and is actuated by any type of pattern mechanism (not shown). As seen in Fig. 5 there is pivoted as at 14 a lever 15 the free end of which receives motion through link 16 which is connected to the flexible connector 12. A chain 17 extends from the lever 15 under sheaves 16 andextends upwardly on thel detector side of the loom to be connected toymec'hanisi'n to be described hereinafter. Whenever the b'ox rod 11 is given a vertical motion to bring onefor the other of the boxes opposite the lay L the chain 17 will receive a corresponding motion. Y t

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3, `ind 4 it will be seen that I have provided a stand 2() secured in any approved manner to the loom side and having an offset shelf 21 in which is guided for vertical motion a plunger 22 the lower end of which is connected to the chain 17 and provided with an adjustable collar 23.1Pii'1oted as at 24 to stand 2O is a lever 25 vhaving a rounded end 26 which is normally held against the bottom of the sleeve or collar 28by tension spring 27 the upper end of which is supported by the shelf 21.

Upwardly extending arm 28 at the end of the shelf 21 has secured thereto a foot 29 on which is mounted the bed 30 of the detector frame. The bed is provided with a relatively large slot in which is mounted for reciprocating motion a slidev 31 theforward end of which'is'reduced as at 32 so that it may enter the usual slot of the shuttles used in automatic looms. Extending laterally from one side of the slide 31- is a pin 33 which extends through a slot in the adjacent wall of the bed 30 to permit said slide to be moved forwardly by an `engaging orti'cn of the transferrer mechanism (not s.Y at the time' of transfer.r A cap entends over lll@ the slide 31 and prevents vertical displaceas shown herein l have provided a rod 40 having the rear end thereof pointed as at 41 to permit the same to penetrate the yarn carried by the bobbins and having a portion received by a bearing 42 formed in the slide 31. The rod passes through an intermediate Vbearing 43 formed on slide 31 and has secured thereto a guide 44 between which and said intermediate bearing extends a spring 45 the purpose of which is to hold said rod rearwardly. The position of said rod is limited as to rearward movement by collar 46 which engages bearing 42.

rlhe forward end of the rod 40 is provided with relatively coarse threads indicated at 47. Slidably mounted on the rod 40 is a slide valve 48 having the forward end thereof provided with internal threads indicated at 49 which receive the screw threads 47 of the rod. Depending from the forward end of the slide valve is a forked arm 50 which bridges an eccentrically mounted rod 51 having the end gudge'ons 52 received in front and rear bearings 53 and 54, respectively, which are carried by the bed 30. The4 forward bearing is removable and held in place by screw 55 to permit said rod 51 to be assembled as shown in Fig. 3. The forward end of the front gudgeon 52 is extended and has adjustably secured thereto an arm 56 the end of which is connected to the upper end of a link 57 the lower end lof which is pivoted as at 53 to the top of plunger 22.

The slide 31 is provided with a solid wall 59 through which extend a pair of tubes 60 and 61, respectively, and the slide valve is provided with a port 62 which normally communicates with tube 60 but is out of register with tube 61. Said slide valve is also reduced as at 63, said `reduced portion being in register with opening 64 which receives the tube 61 so that under normal conditions said opening 64 is open to the atmosphere.

Hose 65 receives air under pressure from any source (not/shown) and pipe 66 extends from the tube 61 to a nipple 67 threaded into a cylinder 68. A plunger 69 is normally held by'spring 70 in forward position in the bore 71 of the cylinder, the plunger having a reduced rear end or controller 72 which normally lies out of the path of a regularly reciprocated lever 73. rEhe lever 73 is similar to that shown in Patent No. 1,030,748, to which reference may vbe had for a description ofthe connections to the magazine. It is sufficient for the present description to state that when the end 72 is pushed under lever 73, transfer is initiated.

In operation the rear end of the slide 31 and the pointed end 41 of the rod will engage the yarn on the bobbin to be detected and so long as sufficient yarn for continued weaving is present the end 41r will penetrate the yarn and there will be no relative movement of the rod 40 on the slide 31. Assuming that the detector is operating on a bobbin wound with relatively coarse yarn the parts will be so adjusted as to leave a relatively thick layer of yarn on the bobbin when the rod 40 is moved forwardly with respect to the slide 31. This result is attained by having the forward end of the` port 62 spaced from the opening 64 a distance slightly less than the amount by whichr the rod moves with respect to the slide. Then a bobbin with very fine yarn is presentedto the detector it is desirable that the weaving be continued without indication until a less depth of yarn is onjthe bobbin. 1n order to accomplish this result it is necessary that the slide valve 43 be moved rearwardly with respect to the rod 40 so as to require theLV 'A port 62 to travel a greater distance before reaching the opening 64. It will be understood that the distance between the` rear end of slide 31 and the end ofthe rod 41 is equal to the depth of the yarn remaining when indication of weft exhaustion is given. The movement of the valve is accomplished by moving the forked arm 50 from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to that shown in dottedlines, this movement resulting in a travel yof the internal threads 49 rearwardly along the threads 47.V

Vihen the rod 40 is moved forwardly sufficiently to expose opening 64 to the port 62 compressed air will pass throurfh pipe 65 to tube 60, through the port 62, through tube 61, through pipe 66 to threaded nipple 67 to press piston 69 rearwardly against action of spring 70 in bore 71. therefore moved under actuator lever 73 to give an indication of weftv exhaustion as previously described.

From the foregoing it will be seen that l have provided a pneumatically actuated weft detector which Vis adjusted in timedv relation with the active shuttle to leave more or less yarn upon the bobbins dependingy upon whether coarse or fine yarn is presented thereto. It .will also be seen that the relative changes between the parts rendered necessary to accomplish this result are effected without changing the relative position of the pin and the detecting surface on The controller is' the rear of the slide. Furthermore it will be noted that provision has been made for the escape of the air through opening 64 so that piston 69 can return to its normal forward position under influence of springv 70 when the rod 40 assumes its normal position upon the backward movement of the lay. It will also be noticed that the eccentric rod 5l extends substantially parallelv tions may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed but what I claim is:

1. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes, a pneumatic weft detector having a part movable to indicate weft exhaustion, and means under control of the shifting shuttle boxes to vary the distance said part moves before indicating weft exhaustion.

2. In a loom, a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes and shuttles therefor which become active one at a time, a pneumatically operated detector to cooperate with each of said shuttles when active and having a relatively movable part to indicate weft exhaustion, and means under controlof said shuttle boxes and dependent upon which shuttle box is in active position to vary the extent of movement of said movable part necessary before weft exhaustion is indicated.

3. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes and shuttles therefor each of which is movable to active position, a pneumatioally operated detector to cooperate with each shuttle when active, said detector having an inlet and an outlet for air, and a sliding member movable between said inlet and outlet under control of the shifting shuttle boxes.

4. In a loom having a plurality of shuttle boxes and shuttles therefor each of which mayvbeco'ine active, a pneumatic weft detector having an air valve movable to open position at the time of indication of weft exhaustion, and means under control of the shuttle boxes and dependent upon which shuttle box is in active position to vary the amount of movement of said valve necessary to indicate exhaustion of weft.

`5. In loom weft detecting mechanism, a weft detector mechanism including a pneumatic systemhaving a movable part to be engaged by the surface to be detected, shifting shuttle boxes, connections between said boxes and the system to vary the position of said part where the same is engaged by the surface to be detected, and means to indicate weft exhaustion when said part assumes a predetermined position.

6. In a loom, weft detecting mechanism including a pneumatic system having a part to be engaged and moved by the surface to bedetected, shifting shuttle boxes, connections between the boxes and said part to vgive the latter different positions relatively to the surface to be detected as the shifting boxes Vassume different positions, and means to effect indication of weft exhaustion when the surface being kdetected moves the part to a predetermined position independently of the position of the surface .being detected when the latter engages said part.

7 In a loom having shifting shuttle boxes and shuttles to ,carry yarns of differing degrees of neness, a pneumatic weft detector, p

and connections between the shuttleboxes and said detector to render the latter effective when detecting coarse yarn to indicate weft exhaustion when a comparatively large amount of such yarn is present and effective when detecting fine yarn to indicate weft exhaustion only when a relatively smaller amount of fine yarn is present.

8. In a loom having shifting shuttle boxes to cooperate with shuttles carrying filling of different degrees of ineness, a weft detector including a pneumatic system having a part to cooperate with each shuttle when in detecting position, and connections between the shifting boxes and said system effective to cause indication of weft exhaustion when vdetecting a comparatively small amount of fine yarn and effective to indicate weft exhaustion when detecting a comparatively large amount of coarser yarnr In testimony whereof I have hereunto aiixed my signature.

WALTER H. WAKEFIELD. I 

